The Buster Keaton Story

Buster Keaton grows up as a child vaudevillian, performing with his family in a knock‑about act called The Three Keatons. He travels between boarding houses and railway boxcars, sharpening his physical comedy on the road. These early days establish his love of stage craft and his instinct for timing.

A young Keaton travels to Hollywood and quietly infiltrates Famous Studio grounds with a board under his arm, marking his entry into the film world. His audacious gambit lands him on a studio lot where he begins rubbing elbows with industry people. This break kicks off his long ascent in silent cinema.

On the studio lot, Gloria Brent, a young casting director, recognizes Keaton's unique talent. He impresses a director named Kurt Bergner, though Bergner remains unimpressed. Gloria's faith in him leads to a pivotal recommendation to studio head Larry Winters.

Keaton signs a studio contract and begins landing small parts in other people's pictures. His growing talent earns him more screen time and sets the stage for greater opportunities. The early film work helps him prove he can carry a film even in supporting roles.

With his fame rising, Keaton earns a contract to direct and star in his own silent films. He crafts a signature style of precise physical comedy and daring stunts that define his career. The move marks a transition from acting-for-others to directing and starring in his own projects.

Keaton invests in his own film, The Gambler, betting on his continued success. Its release coincides with Al Jolson’s blockbuster The Jazz Singer, drawing audiences away from his work. The rise of talkies forces him to confront the challenge of adapting his silent craft to sound.

Keaton pursues silent-film star Peggy Courtney, who looks down on his boarding-house manners. She later marries a European Duke to become a Duchess, leaving him crushed. The disappointment fuels a downward turn in his personal life as drinking takes hold.

Gloria, who has remained a friend, agrees to marry Keaton after confessing her continued feelings for him. She weds him in a drunken moment and moves in with him so he won’t die from his drinking problem. Her decision marks a turbulent turn in their relationship.

Keaton is offered a small part in a talking film by director Kurt Bergner, but he quits the project in anger when he is not given enough screen time to develop his routines. The incident underscores his struggle to adapt to sound cinema. His career then wanders through frames of hopes and disappointments.

On his way home, Keaton meets children playing baseball and improvises bits that elicit genuine laughter. He returns to the house believing he has landed a part, borrows $10 from tourists, and uses it to drown his sorrows. He soon collapses at home, ill from drinking.

The tension peaks as Gloria confronts the consequences of his drinking; she leaves him, hoping distance will force him to face his problem. The separation pushes Keaton toward reevaluating his life and career. Their fragile marriage hangs in the balance.

Keaton goes to Larry Winters' office and learns that Gloria has resumed her old studio job. In a quiet moment with Gloria in the office, he declares that he is quitting drinking and returning to his vaudeville roots. He asserts that she is free from the marriage, setting the stage for a potential reconciliation.

Keaton returns to vaudeville, where audiences still laugh at his routines. Gloria eventually joins his act, and together they become a hit. They envision themselves as The Two Keatons, with Gloria signaling to form The Three Keatons as she becomes a partner and is expecting.